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Today's News - October 23, 2006

ArcSpace brings us Allied Works in Michigan and Alsop in Singapore. -- Will green ratings in the U.K. mean more eco-friendly homes? -- In Dublin, environmentalists say B ratings should really be D's. -- Is 'Visions for New York City" report really visionary, or a road map for future developers? -- Why some are thumbs-up and some thumbs-down on Business Improvement Districts (and just what is a BID anyway?). -- The Salvation Army, its long history as patron of leading edge architecture, and its latest triumph - designed for the poor. -- Sparks fly between Starck and developer about who should live in the towering Lumiere in Leeds. -- A modern-day fortress takes shape as the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. -- For Pearman, London's Young Vic theater is the return of postmodernism, but this time around it's "far less superficial, far more intelligent, and considerably less hysterical." -- A "gaggle of experts" gather in Toronto to (hopefully) help the city get over its fear of heights. -- England's south coast revival proves that "great building design is essential for prosperity." -- Rebirth of "a rain-streaked, litter-strewn concrete monstrosity" offers hope for some of Britain's ugliest buildings (a.k.a. "British architecture's radical experiments in the 1960s and 1970s"). -- A 1975 Chicago jail was a "visual delight" - until recent repairs started. -- Kennicott mourns Maya Lin of yesteryear, as Lin the Artist "seems determined to be irrelevant." -- The new Swedish embassy on the Potomac is a "gleaming glass prow." -- Another take on architects reinventing the bike shed. -- NASA launches a global competition for a space elevator (no kidding). -- An upcoming preservation conference explores "Making Preservation Work." -- A Swiss architect and a French landscape architect take on "Environment: Approaches for Tomorrow" at the CAC.

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-- Expansion: Allied Works Architecture: Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
-- SMC ALSOP: Clarke Quay, Singapore

It’s not easy being green: Builders won’t commit to ecofriendly homes until people are willing to pay for them...From next June, every home that goes on sale in England and Wales must have an Energy Performance Certificate — which will rate its efficiency from A-G...- The Times (UK)

Greens see red over Dublin’s energy efficiency ratings: Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI)...says new houses that comply with building regulations should be given a B rating...Environmentalists argue the proposed B rating is a “greenwash” and will allow builders to advertise their homes as being at the cutting edge of energy efficiency when in fact they are wasteful by European standards.- The Times (UK)

Nine Million Stories in the Naked City? An as-yet unreleased report commissioned by Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff makes some interesting recommendations...Is the report, Visions for New York City, really that, or is it a map for the next generation of developers? -- Alex Garvin & Associates- The Architect's Newspaper (NYC)

Business Improvement Districts: What is a BID? Why Supporters Like Them / Why Detractors Criticize- Gotham Gazette (NYC)

The luxury of quality architecture for the poor: ...one of the best-designed Vancouver apartment buildings of any kind constructed this decade...The Salvation Army...has, surprisingly, been a regular patron of leading edge architectural design for a century, and has always built to last. By Trevor Boddy -- Le Corbusier (1934); Parkin Partnership (1956); Neale Staniskis Doll Adams- Globe and Mail (Canada)

Blunt truths, Starck facts: This exchange has highlighted two crucial things: an honest (for once) view from a developer, and the inherent difficulties of bringing on board an iconic designer “name” to give your latest apartment block the edge over the competition. -- Yoo; Ian Simpson- The Times (UK)

Fortress America Arrives in Berlin: One thing was clear at the topping out ceremony for the new United States Embassy in Berlin. The new €120-million building is a modern-day fortress. -- Moore Ruble Yudell- Der Spiegel (Germany)

Postmodernism is back, and this time it's got much more going for it. London's Young Vic theatre shows how. This time round, it's far less superficial, far more intelligent, and considerably less hysterical. I think we're in for an interesting few years. By Hugh Pearman -- Haworth Tompkins [images]- HughPearman.com (UK)

Toronto's fear of tall buildings silly: ...it wasn't surprising that several hundred local planners, architects and development industry types showed up at a one-day conference...brought to town a gaggle of experts from New York, Chicago, London and Vancouver to discuss how their cities deal with height. By Christopher Hume- Toronto Star

Is there something in the sea air? Brighton is about to boast a giant viewing tower. But it's not the only place on England's south coast enjoying a design revival...i360 will confirm the trend...It will also confirm the fundamental and inspiring...truth that great building design is essential for prosperity. -- Marks Barfield; Wilkinson Eyre; Frank Gehry; Thomas Heatherwick; Scott Wilson- Observer (UK)

Scrubs up beautifully: The Brunswick Centre was a rain-streaked, litter-strewn concrete monstrosity... Then someone gave it a lick of paint. Steve Rose on a rebirth offering hope for some of Britain's ugliest buildings...suggests that some of British architecture's radical experiments in the 1960s and 1970s were condemned far too quickly. -- Patrick Hodgkinson (1972); Urban Splash [image]- Guardian (UK)

Jail a prisoner of ill-conceived renovation plan: Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center...has been a visual delight since its completion in 1975...As the jail repair shows, efforts to fix these landmarks of the future can wind up doing harm as well as good. By Blair Kamin -- Harry Weese (1975); George Butler Associates; Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates; WASA- Chicago Tribune

Why Has Maya Lin Retreated From the Battlefield of Ideas? ...that Lin is gone, transformed into Lin the Artist, who...wants to project an image of disengagement from the huge civic issues she raised...seems determined to be irrelevant... By Philip Kennicott- Washington Post

Artistic Interpretations of Sweden, Inside and Out: Some national distinctions might blur in an era of globalization, but there's no mistaking the gleaming glass prow on the Potomac for anything but a new Swedish embassy. By Linda Hales -- Gert Wingardh and Tomas Hansen [image]- Washington Post

Shed your preconceptions: What happens when architects reinvent the bike shed? -- Anthony Lau; Chun Yeug Cheng/Ka Fai Lee; David Eburah; VMX [image]- Telegraph (UK)

Space Elevator Visions Going Up: The idea may sound like a sci-fi fantasy, but NASA is hosting a global competition and offering $150,000 to the winning team.- Los Angeles Times

National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 60th annual preservation conference: “Making Preservation Work”; Pittsburgh, October 31 - November 5- National Trust for Historic Preservation

"Environment: Approaches for Tomorrow": exhibition on the work of French horticultural engineer and landscape architect Gilles Clément and Swiss architect Philippe Rahm opens at Canadian Centre for Architecture- Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA)

(Product) Red "Pop-Up" Store: A temporary retail store in the heart of Chicago is all heart for a good cause. -- WalkerGroup with Motorola [images]- ArchNewsNow

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